Panel rejects charter school's application

A state committee shot down a proposed language-immersion and technology-focused charter school's application on Thursday, forcing the school to wait another year to reapply to open.

The state Charter School Advisory Committee unanimously denied the Southeastern Elementary Institute of Global Studies proposal for more than 30 reasons, including problems with its budget, governance and bylaws.

The committee must sign off on charter schools' applications before groups can go to the next step -- either the state charter district or local school boards.

"It's a great concept," said Larry DiCenzo, chairman of the state Charter School Advisory Committee and principal of Orange Grove Elementary Charter in West Ashley. "I think they're passionate. I think it can work, but there's just a lot of things they haven't worked out yet."

If the group takes the committee's feedback, works on its application and returns in a year with a solid presentation, he said it likely would be given the go-ahead. The earliest the school could open would be 2012.

The committee sometimes allows applicants to work out the kinks in their proposals and return a few weeks later to receive approval. But DiCenzo said the proposed global studies charter had too many problems to work through and that wasn't an option.

The Southeastern Elementary Institute of Global Studies was the only Lowcountry group to submit a charter application this year.

Many of those who support the proposed school are connected through the West Ashley Learning Hub, a private preschool. They hoped to serve 94 Charleston County pre-kindergarten through fourth-grade students in its first year and add a fifth grade and phase out its pre-kindergarten the following year. Students in kindergarten through second grade would have had 90 percent of their lessons in Spanish, and they would have studied Chinese in third through fifth grades.

Tamara Heck is a member of the charter school's organizing committee and hopes her son will be able to go there one day. She said the group definitely will reapply next year, and it will use the committee's comments to improve the application.

"It is disappointing, but maybe it's a blessing in disguise," she said. "It gives us a chance to revamp and improve ourselves, and that only can benefit the kids."

DiCenzo said the state's charter school approval process is rigorous and that it's not easy to put together a strong proposal.

This year, 13 groups in South Carolina applied to open charter schools. The state committee approved five applications and denied four. One is pending, and three charter schools pulled out of the process.

It's not the first time a local group has been denied by the state charter committee. The Apple Charter School, which plans to open this fall and serve low-achieving kindergartners through sixth-graders on James Island, was denied approval in 2008 but returned in 2009 to earn the committee's OK.

Reach Diette Courrégé at 937-5546 or dcourrege@postandcourier.com.